Andhra Pradesh: Choultries In Srisailam Running On Commercial Lines Disappoint Devotees
Sensing opportunity, 50 organisations have applied for land to build new accommodations: Reports
KURNOOL: Thousands of devotees visiting the Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at Srisailam are facing difficulties in getting affordable and decent accommodation, with private choultries being increasingly run on commercial lines.
Devotees are frequently approached by middlemen offering space to stay. However, when they reach, devotees find charges are high for the available accommodation. The maintenance is poor and shabby.
The issue came into sharp focus following the recent suicide of five members of a family at the Vaddera choultry. The management’s decision to rent out the room to the family for a month has raised questions.
Srisailam temple authorities started allotting land to various community associations on lease for nominal amounts from 1984. These organisations constructed rooms and started renting them out to devotees. There are currently around 65 choultries in Srisailam.
Though rules prohibit allotment of rooms for more than three days, devotees allege that the norm is frequently violated. Middlemen influence room allotments and complaints about poor facilities are not addressed.
A devotee, N. Sivanageswara Rao, who visited Srisailam on August 18, alleged that he paid ₹1,200 for a poorly maintained room. “The room had no basic facilities. Devotees are being forced to pay high amounts for poorly maintained rooms,” he protested.
Choultries are run by several community organisations, including those of Reddys, Vadderas, Kammas, and Lingayats. Devotees say commercial interests have overtaken the original objective of providing affordable accommodation to pilgrims.
Another devotee, N.V. Muneiah, wanted Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Devasthanam to directly manage choultries on the lines of Tirumala.
“At Tirumala, accommodation is managed by the TTD authorities. At Srisailam, devotees are forced to pay whatever the choultry management demands. The Srisailam devasthanam should take complete control of the accommodation facilities,” Muneiah maintained.
Seeing the rush of devotees, around 50 applications have been submitted in the name of different community organisations seeking land for construction of new choultries. Each applicant is said to have deposited around ₹50 lakh with the Devasthanam. The temple is reportedly expected to allot 10–20 cents of land to the approved organisations.
A temple official, requesting anonymity, alleged that political pressure is being exerted on Endowments officials to clear the applications, owing to choultries becoming a source of income. Even ministers and MLAs are allegedly contacting officials over the issue.